Custom Elk Knife Question….kind of.

[CoHntr82]

This isnt your usual question post tag allocation so I’ll start off with I’m a Co resident and decided to burn my 5 pts, and got the Muzzeloader tag I was hoping for. Already set some cameras and been up twice scouting. Super pumped for sept!!

I apologize: but this is going to be long:

Back to the knife question. Several years ago my grandpa passed and I was given his “river knife”. As a kid we spend a lot of time running rivers in Missouri and this was his do everything knife (Montana knife company knife with an antler handle). I remember this knife fondly. Super cool knife but awkward size, small 4” handle with a skinny 8” blade. Fast forward, I’ve live in Co now for 20 yrs and spend a ton of timing hunting.

About 6 yrs I took my suit and tie business man brother on his first elk hunt. Well that got him absolutely hooked which has turned into his now 9yo son loving all types of hunting. As the only male grandchild (1/8). I’d like him to have a part of this knife.

Long story short. Does anyone know a knife maker who could cut this down and make two smaller skinning knives? I’ve contact Montana knife Co and they’re not interested. My grandpa was a cabinet maker by trade, had a lot of tools and always used them. I haven’t really been able to use this knife which is something he would want. I took a poll at the firehouse. Half the guys say keep it as is and put it on the mantle, half say cut it up, make it two, and use them.

What’s everyone think? Any recs on a knife maker that can cut without loosing the temper?

 

[Randle]

Honsetly with such a rare blade I wouldnt want to change it.
Too much history and coolness in the knife.
Thanks for sharing

 

[LongWayAround]

@Dixie

 

[dirtshooter]

Did he have any hardened steel tools that you could have someone forge into new knives? Don't cut that knife up IMO.

 

[Dixie]

Doable... but I would leave it as is and put it on the mantel.
Just have someone make a copy with a shorter blade out of modern steel.

 

[NDGuy]

Some things are best left alone..

 

[intunegp]

I'd leave it alone. Someone above suggested scouring his tools to find something made of a suitable steel to have forged into knives for you and your brother and I think that's a great idea. Files are generally very good candidates.

Also...

Josh Smith, founder of Montana Knife Company, registered that company name in 1999. The company as it's known today put out its first knives in 2020 but Josh started making knives in the early to mid 90s. Just based upon the timelines discussed, I'm guessing this knife predates that by quite a bit unless you're fairly young.

As a knife lover, I'm more curious about your knife than anything. I don't think it has anything to do with the Montana Knife Company that people think of today, but that doesn't mean whoever made it wasn't calling themselves that way back in the day. Does it have any maker's marks or stamping on the tang? It almost looks like there might be but I can't make it out from the pictures you shared.

 

[taskswap]

I (obviously) never knew your grandfather, but I think I'm in the "remake it" camp here (although it looks lonely around this fire ). I can say if it was ME and I left MY knife I'd want it used. And if cutting it down meant it got used, I'd be right proud to have that done. It's a better story for me that an item gets used rather than just put on a shelf and looked at. When we put things on shelves and just look at them, eventually they just become furniture/decorations. They get forgotten.

This kind of debate comes up in the antiques world, too. There's a whole theory that even minor repairs during restoration reduce the value of an item. And that some items are best left shabby but original/untouched. But original carpenters never intended their furniture to be left untouched forever. In fact, the finishes they used like shellac and wax were "wear items" and meant to be maintained. There is a saying about wax and (old school) oil finishes: "once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year for life".

So maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm personally wired to prefer "continued usefulness" over "conversation piece."

I don't know if he's still doing custom work but I had my hunt-and-camp knife pair made by Griska Knives (they have an Instagram page) and they came out great. It was standard steel but with a sentimental-value elk antler worked into bone handles for them. Each knife has part of the same antler.

 

[Westensee]

I am of the mindset of turning into 2. I would definitely want to share it with my brother and allow each of us the opportunity to have the memories while using it. I certainly wouldn't opt to turn it into a retired relic, I just see it as a tool that was used all the time and grandpa would love to see it still putting in the work. Those are my thoughts. I don't have any recommendations for someone to help with that though.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Honsetly with such a rare blade I wouldnt want to change it.
Too much history and coolness in the knife.
Thanks for sharing

100% agree. Too much history behind it. If that knife could talk, imagine the stories it could tell.

 

[CoHntr82]

Damnit ok. Still torn. As far as markings, there is something stamped into but I’m away from the house for a few days. I totally get keeping it as is, but man it kills me not to use the damn thing.

 

[Blowdowner]

Legendary blades can only be reforged if they break in battle. Do you have daughters? That knife would be perfect for plucking out the trachea of an assailant.

 

[Nicaburns]

It can totally be done but will have to be heat treated again. It appears to be a high carbon steel so reforging two blades from it would be the best path. Cutting/grinding would almost certainly lose more material. The other option is using that blade as the core of a San mai billet and then you would have complete freedom on the outcome. Just let me know if you are interested as I do heritage type blades frequently. Going the sanmai route, we could also incorporate sections of the original handle into both new blades.
Here is an example of a carbon core San mai construction blade for reference… in this case, it was 160 layer Damascus on the outside of a carbon steel (80crv2) core

 

[Beendare]

I don't know if this will help you decide but here goes;

I had a knife like that my Dad got from my grandfather. I tried using it for hunting back when I was running dogs for hogs and I really needed a good knife.

That knife was more of a PITA than its worth. Mine had about a 7"blade- so too long....and the steel wasn't all that good, it needed constant touch up.

I went on to use a knife with better steel and more suited to hunting and don't regret it one bit. I would hang that thing on the wall...or cut it down so your brother can hang one on the wall too.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I don't know if this will help you decide but here goes;

I had a knife like that my Dad got from my grandfather. I tried using it for hunting back when I was running dogs for hogs and I really needed a good knife.

That knife was more of a PITA than its worth. Mine had about a 7"blade- so too long....and the steel wasn't all that good, it needed constant touch up.

I went on to use a knife with better steel and more suited to hunting and don't regret it one bit. I would hang that thing on the wall...or cut it down so your brother can hang one on the wall too.

Wall hanger for sure.

 

[Joseph2186]

Yea it can be cut up and put into a canister and forge out a couple knifes and the handle could be used and a part of the knife scales. Or san mai or damascus. In my opinion if you want to split it up take the handle off and have to knives made and use parts of that and just have a new handle made for the knife.

 

[Jqualls]

You could try Jimmy Largent in Bayfield CO. His dad originally made custom knives for my dad and 3 brothers from antlers of his elk. I think the son took over several years ago but my wife bought me one of his knives a few years ago as a birthday gift not knowing that I had a custom knife from him 20 years earlier. He could probably do something whether it be with the knife or making something out of a tool. If you can't find him message me and I will find his contact.